Field
The present disclosure relates generally to helical piles and more particularly to helical piles with one or more cutting tips at a distal end of the helical pile.
Description of the Related Art
Piles are used to support structures, such as buildings, when the soil underlying the structure would be too weak alone to support the structure. To effectively support a structure, a pile has to penetrate the soil to a depth where competent load-bearing stratum is found. Conventional piles can be cast in place by excavating a hole in the place where the pile is needed, or a hollow form can be driven into the ground where the pile is needed, and then filled with cement. These approaches are cumbersome and expensive.
Helical or screw piles are a cost-effective alternative to conventional cement piles because of the speed and ease at which a helical pile can be installed. Helical piles are rotated such that load bearing helical plates at the lower end of the pile effectively screw the pile into the soil to a desired depth. Loose to medium dense soils, fine to coarse sand and sandy gravel, as well as firm clay are the ground components that helical piles are designed to auger through. Obstructions in the ground, such as a rock, can stress the shaft of the helical pile or the helical plates attached to the shaft. With a conventional helical pile, when layered rock formations, bedrock or a large rock is encountered, it is often necessary to pull the helical pile out of the ground, and attempt to auger the helical pile to the correct depth from another point. In the event that a rock formation is quite large, moving the drilling location may not be a viable option. Another option could be pre-drilling a hole in the layered rock formations, bedrock or rock, but this is often costly, time consuming and generally unfeasible.